Ellen Samson-Dementia Speaker

09/10/2026

When your loved one with dementia holds a doll, rocks it, talks to it, or cares for it, it may not mean they are getting worse.

That doll may represent identity, purpose, comfort, or the role they once knew: mother, caregiver, nurturer.

This is not always regression. Sometimes it is expression.

Instead of taking it away, ask: what need is this helping them communicate?

What object gives your loved one comfort and purpose?

09/10/2026

Join 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 for a 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 on 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.

Created for business owners, professionals, and adult children balancing work, family, and caregiving, this practical conversation will explore how to manage competing responsibilities, prepare for changing care needs, and make thoughtful decisions without losing yourself in the process.

𝟏𝟏 𝐀𝐌 𝐏𝐓 • 𝟏𝟐 𝐏𝐌 𝐌𝐓 • 𝟏 𝐏𝐌 𝐂𝐓 • 𝟐 𝐏𝐌 𝐄𝐓
Live on Zoom | Free registration | Limited slots

𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐑 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭.

09/10/2026

Pause for a second before you say, “Why is she so attached to that doll?”

For someone living with dementia, that doll may be giving comfort, familiarity, and safety when the brain feels confused.

It is not always childish. It is not always meaningless.

The brain may be reaching for something steady in a world that no longer makes sense.

Behavior is communication.

Before taking it away, ask: What is this giving her?

09/09/2026

The care location matters, but supervision matters too.

Before deciding home, nursing home, or care abroad, write down what is actually happening: memory, medications, eating, sleep, safety, and daily supervision needs.

Then ask: who is responsible for healthcare decisions, finances, backup plans, and updates if the first plan fails?

Love is the reason we plan, but the care plan protects that love.

What part of the care plan does your family still need to clarify?

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

A caregiver alone is not the same as a care plan.

For families abroad, the missing piece is often professional supervision. Someone has to assess the situation, coordinate with the doctor, train the caregiver, monitor the senior, and update the adult children clearly.

At American Geriatric Care Management, we help families create and supervise care plans so you are not left guessing from far away.

Send a PM or visit ellensamson.com to learn more.

What care decision feels hardest to manage from abroad?

09/08/2026

Home care is not just having someone in the house.

Home care can feel closest to love, and it can be beautiful. But it only works when it is trained, supervised, and sustainable.

Dementia behavior is often communication. The person may be scared, in pain, overstimulated, or confused.

The right care needs the right person, the right skills, and enough support.

What would make home care safer for your family?

09/08/2026

You may feel guilty even considering a nursing home.

But the question is not, “What will people say?” The question is, “What does our loved one need now?”

You can love your parent and still need help. You can honor them and still admit home is no longer safe.

Nursing home care is not automatically failure. Sometimes it is the higher level of care dementia now requires.

The right decision protects the person, not the family image.

What decision has your family been afraid to discuss?

09/07/2026

Not everyone gets to clock out.

Some caregivers wear a uniform. Others finish their paid work, come home, and begin another shift as a caregiver.

They manage medications, meals, appointments, bills, safety, and difficult decisions. Much of this labor is unpaid, unseen, and carried quietly.

This Labor Day, we honor professional caregivers, family caregivers, and the working sandwich generation.

Your labor may happen behind closed doors, but its impact holds families together.

For the work seen and unseen, thank you.

09/07/2026

You may feel guilty even saying “nursing home.”

In many Filipino families, those words can feel like abandonment. But sometimes, it is not abandonment. It is the level of supervision dementia now requires.

That does not mean the family failed. It means the care needs became bigger than what home can safely handle.

Visit, observe, ask questions, and check dignity, cleanliness, hydration, food intake, care plans, and documentation.

A nursing home does not replace family. It changes your role into advocate, voice, protector, and emotional anchor.

What makes this decision hardest for your family?